There are an increasingly tremendous number and variety of products pertaining to the practice of yoga online. Today I've decided to write a short article to classify them, as well as to pass along a few leads to you for some free and useful stuff.

Asanas

These are the postures, of which the vast majority of the world become familiar with yoga. From simple standing poses to advanced stretch-5-areas-simultaneously-while-balancing-on-one-foot, the asanas (or postures) are often distinct from style to style, and in more traditionally developed cases, are incorporated into routines which target the development of key areas of musculature, or focus on organs or the nervous system.

I prefer asanas from the Ashtanga and Kundalini systems. You can find full color or black-and-white printouts (like the excerpted one at the bottom of this article) for free, and use them to develop your own portfolio for practice. I love 'absolutelyashtanga' for their wonderfully (and free, though they accept donations) photo documented ashtanga series 1 through 5. Check 'em out; (the series) and you can learn how each series has a specific purpose. While there are many video courses available online, there are relatively few that reveal the comprehensiveness of a fully developed system; they generally tend to be comprised of an hour or two of beginner's warm-ups and cool-downs, and rarely touch on the postures which really get into the deepest areas.

Clothes

In India, a simple pair of shorts or a wrap will do. However, you can find yoga clothes for almost any occasion. For practicality, some sweat pants and jacket are excellent for warming the muscles for pliability. For style, You can find emblazoned dragons, a simple shakti, chakra, or mudra symbol. You can find clothes made from recycled material, some of which are imbued with UV-resistance, anti-microbial, and sweat-wicking properties. Form-fitting clothing can be nice when not too restrictive, and is great for travel and durability, as these clothes are usually more durable and pack tightly into a backpack or suitcase.

Mats and other accessories

Even mats are a non-standard item. When you use a mat, it artificially keeps your feet from slipping, but it is just this challenge which makes the most out of standing poses which should engage your inner hip-leg muscles to contract inwardly. This is not only to develop those areas, but also to stimulate the basal regions of the spinal cord.

However, mats are incredibly handy for when you are just starting out (so long as you are mindful of not 'cheating' yourself out of using your legs and bandhas (muscular locks.) Yoga is best learned gently, and mats, as well as blocks, help support the body when becoming used to new postures which might risk crashing to the floor.

Slip resistant mat towels, gloves, and socks are available as well, although again there is that same potential to cheat your practice from maintaining tension to support yourself while slowly developing into deeper poses.

Straps are one of my personal favorites, as they can be used to give your body a great idea of the proper direction in which a pose should develop.

There are many more adjuncts to developing your practice of course, and to keep this from going on too long, here is a brief list to stimulate some ideas, all of which can be found (often for free) on the internet.

Music: Music can help set the mood for a more conducive practice. You can go to mp3Skull online for free downloads without any registration.

Books: There is some great classical literature on yoga, and you can find works such as Patanjali's Sutras or Iyengar's 'Light on Pranayama' for free simply by typing in those words and 'free' into your browser; you are sure to find free pdf files for these and many other publications.

Aromatics The olfactory (scent) nerves are unique among the senses, in that they are the only sense nerves tied directly to major processing areas in the brain, (unlike your eyes or ears which project through a series of intermediate pre-processing areas.) The use of specific smells can dramatically effect how well you are able to relax, enjoy, and surrender thinking about 'other' things during your practice.

Food Yes, you certainly can find food online. But why would anyone want anything other than fresh foods if they are on a yogic journey? Well, this is a good question, however some supplements (such as vitamin butter oil, fermented cod liver oil, and especially oils in general) help to make for a profoundly more efficient diet.

Kriya This has to do with body cleaning: inside and out. From Neti pots, to fiber, to enemas, to exfoliating brushes or lotions, to organ-specific cleanse formulas and products, and even to a variety of of breath techniques for clearing the lungs thoroughly, you can bet that the yogic system has persisted through the millennia because it is truly comprehensive to life.